Bathtub with contained shower curtain



March 9, 1943. s. E. DALTON, J'R

BATHTUB WITH CONTAINED SHOWER CURTAIN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1942 J m 1 l E Z] wucm/tm', 627/1022. Jaw/ J March 9, 1943.

s, E. DALTON, JR

BATHTUB WITH CONTAINED SHOWER CURTAIN Filed June 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I is zlwucnfob 5270a; llialion, J95.

a March 9, 1943.

s. E. DALT ON, JR

BATHTUB WITH CONTAINED SHOWER CURTAIN Filed June so, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet s Elma/mm 51722022 7 Igzi/Z;

Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE BATHTUB WITH: CONTAINED SHOWER CURTAIN Simon E. Dalton, Jr., Atlantic City, N. J. Application June 30, 1942, Serial No. 449,115

9 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in bathtubs and contained shower curtains and ha for an object to provide a bathtub and curtain which curtain may be stored or collapsed in the bathtub when the curtain is not in use. On the other hand the curtain may be readily and quickly raised to a protective position when so desired.

One of the objects of the invention is to form a receptive chamber in the front face of the bathtub in which the curtain is to be installed and from which chamber the curtain may be quickly released by the operator and then raised to the desired height, where it will remain until lowered.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tub with an auxiliary chamber in which is to be housed a curtain which curtain will be in a packed or nested condition when not in use within the chamber, but on the other hand may be quickly released from its chamber, slightly elevated by a spring means and then grasped and quickly raised to the desired height where it will remain until lowered by the operator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a curtain, hidden in the tub when not in use, together with supporting rods that may be quickly raised to support the curtain if the tub is not situated between end walls.

Still another object of the invention is to construct a tub having a chamber in which the curtain is to be packed, which curtain in turn is preferably in a plurality of sections whose individual height are less than the height of the tub, but which curtain when in its raisedposition will extend high enough to prevent the water from the shower being splashed into the bathroom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a curtain made up of a plurality of plastic sheets of desired height and width which may pack or telescope into a relatively small space, but which may readily be raised to prevent the water from splashing from the shower.

With these and other objects in view, the in vention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment and one modification,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tub with my improved curtain therein, the walls in section and with parts broken away for the sake of clearlies of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the tub, the curtain being shown in raised position in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary'vertical sectional view showing the sections of the curtain as being packed within the special chamber formed in the tub;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the curtain as being raised to its full height;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view showing the manner in which the curtain is held in its raised position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view showing the curtain as being held in its lowered position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the cover showing the track and the ball and detent as shown in Figs. 5 and 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the leaf spring for automatically partially raising the curtain and its cover so that the curtain and cover may be readily grasped and raised to its full height;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modified form with parts broken away showing supports for the curtain when the tub is not set between end walls;

Fig. 10 is a detail showing how the curtain may be supported on its post;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view similar to Fig, 10; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section showing a portion of the telescopic post.

Referring now to the preferred form and Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, there is shown a bathtub l which is to be installed between the end walls 2. The tub is shown with a chamber 3 open at its sides that extends entirely along the front face of the tub..

At the bottom of the chamber there maybe a drain 4 which will connect with the main waste pipe 5 as may be seen in Fig. 2

Extending longitudinally of the bottom of the chamber there may be seen the leaf spring 6 so that when the curtain (about to be described) is initially loosened, the spring will raise the curtain a few inches so that it may be readily grasped by the operator and then easily raised the remainder of its height.

Also fitted within the chamber, as may be seen in Fig. 3, are the several sections of the curtain, and for the purposes of illustration I have shown three; a bottom section 1, an intermediate section 8, and a top section 9.

These sections are preferably made of a relatively stiff plastic sheet, preferably translucent or opaque, while extending throughout the length of the bottom section may be seen the small channel foot H], which may be of plastic or rubber, so that this foot will rest on the spring and provide a surface of such cross dimension that it will not slip between the spring and the sides of the chamber, and add rigidity to this bottom section of the curtain.

The upper edge of the sheet or section 1 will have the hooked or rolled edge H, so that the similar rolled edge I 2 of the lower edge of the section 8 will engage the hooked or rolled edge H of the sheet 1 when this intermediate section is raised, as will be shortly mentioned.

In the same Way the upper section 9 has the rolled edge l3 on its lower edge, so that it will engage the rolled edge M on the section 8 and Thus the curtain and head are held in a fixed position when the curtain is nested within the chamber and the head rests on the upper walls of the chamber, and likewise the curtain is well supported in its raised position.

It will be understood that the detents may be wherever desired along the tracks so that the curtain may be held in any desired partly open position. The spring-pressed balls at the outer ends of the head will also prevent the curtain from dropping too speedily if the head should slip out of the hands of the operator.

thus, when the top section is raised it will engage the upper edge of the intermediate section, while the lower .edge of the intermediate section will engage the top edge of the bottom section; so that the curtain now will appear as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. l I

Along the top edge of the top section 9 there is a cover or head, preferably of plastic, l5, which extends over the top of the chamber 3 when the curtain is enclosed within its chamber to thus prevent water and foreign substances from entering the chamber.

There may also be seen a protective strip I6 fastened near the top of the chamber, which may be of rubber which will bear against the uppermost section when the: curtain is in its lowered position, and tends to hold the sections in close proximity to each other, and also will prevent water from passing into the chamber.

However, any water that does get into the chamber may pass through the drain 4 into the main Waste pipe 5.

The cover or head I5 may benotched slightly as at I? (Fig. 1) to conveniently release the curtain from a locked position, as will be shortly mentioned, and as soon as released the spring 6 heretofore mentioned will raise the sections of the curtain and its head so that the operator can place his fingers beneath the head and elevate the curtain to its open or protective position.

In the walls 2 I have shown the grooves or tracks l8 in which the opposite edges of the sections of the curtain travel when the curtain is raised or lowered.

These grooves I8 are positioned in registry with the before-mentioned chamber3 and are. slightly decreased in width, as may be seen at l9, sothat the grooves will act as tracks for the raising and lowering of the curtain to prevent; water from splashing out between the. edges of the curtain and the walls, as well as assuring a proper raising and'lowering of the curtain.

Carried in the opposite ends of the head I5 may be seen the small cylinders 20,with the springpressed balls 2| which will'travel in the aforementioned tracks and will be pressed into respective detents 22 positioned at the'upper limit of travel of the curtain. Thus the curtain will be strongly supported when in its elevated position.

In a like manner there will-be a detent 23 (see Fig. 4) in each groove, which detents are so positioned that the head whenit isin its lowermost position and the curtain is packedwithin its chamber, will hold the curtain. and, the;head against the pressure of the'spring. 6 until'ra pulling action is exerted on the; headgby, theoperator.

Thus it will be seen that it is but the matter of a moment to exert a slight upward pull on the head I! to release the ball and detent stops which will allow the spring 6 to slightly levate the curtain sections and its head so that it may be then grasped by the operator and quickly raised to its full open position where it will be supported until again pulled down by the operator.

Referring now to a slight modification, it will be Iunderstood that the curtain sections C are identical, but inthis instance the chamber 25 in thetub 26 does. not quite extend across the entire front face of-the tub, while located at the opposite ends of. the chamber are housed the telescopic posts 21, the uppermost sections of which are provided with flanges 2 8 and knobs 29 which flanges have a slight depression 30 therein (see Fig. 11). The curtain head in this instance, 3|, will havethe lugs 32 at its opposite ends, as may be seen in Figs. 10 and 11.

Thus, when it is desired to elevate and support the elevated curtain C the knobs 2 9 will be grasped to extend the sections of the telescopic posts 21 and after being raised to their full height, the head 3| of the curtain will be grasped and the curtain elevated exactly as in the preferred form. Then the top of the curtain will be moved slightly forwardly so that the lugs 32 on the top of the curtainmay be movedfrom the. under surface of the flanges 28 andthenbrought to rest on top of the flanges 28, as may be seen in Figs. 9 and 10.

The telescopic sections of the posts will remain in a fixed open position until the operator exerts enough force onthe top of the posts to telescope them, as is wellknown.

In the modified form as in the preferred form, the head will be held in a fastened position when restingon the tub by the flanges of the telescopic sections of the post, as the friction between the respective sections will be greater than the force exertedbythe spring 35 which spring will be. located in the bottom of the chamber 25 similar to the spring in the preferred embodiment.

After the posts have been elevated, however, the spring will force these sections of the curtain upwardly fora short distance so that the operator can get his fingers under thehead and raise the curtain with but little trouble.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a tub with a chamber on its front face in which chamber is to be located acurtain made up of a plurality of sections and if the tub is installed between two ends walls," tracks will be provided in the walls'for the edges of the curtain'to ride in, whereas if the tub is "not to be installed between two end walls, supporting means are provided to hold the curtain when raised.

By forming the tuband curtain as shown, the installation of the tub willp're'sent a pleasing appearance and the curtains'will beoutof the way whennot in'use; T

'It will also be understood that the plastic sheets that form the sections of theic'urt'ain may be white, or if the tub or bathroom is of a certain color, the curtains likewise may be of the same color or a contrasting color, to suit the taste of the purchaser.

It will also be understood that the sections might be made to interlock in a slightly different manner from those illustrated, and that the arrangements for holding the curtain in its upper position might likewise be changed, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bathtub having a supplemental chamber, which chamber extends substantially throughout the length of the tub and is of substantially the same depth as the tub, together with a curtain housed in said chamber, the said curtain made up of a plurality of interlocking sections, the said sections when in said chamber being in a side by side position, and said sections interlocking to form one protective curtain when the sections are raised to their uppermost positions.

2. A bathtub having a chamber extending across its front face, the said chamber being substantially the depth of the tub, a shower curtain normally housed in said chamber, the said shower curtain formed of interlocking sections, the said sections when normally housed in said chamber being in a side by side position, a cover attached to the uppermost section and normally covering the top of said chamber, and means for holding the curtain in its uppermost position.

3. A bathtub having a chamber of substantially the same depth as the bathtub and the said chamber extending across the front face of said bathtub, a curtain housed in said chamber, said ourtain made up of plastic sheets and the edges of said sheets adapted to interlock when the said sections are elevated, a head secured to the uppermost section and means on the opposite ends of the head adapted to cooperate with supports to thus hold the curtain when raised in its elevated position.

4. A bathtub having a chamber extending along its front face and th chamber being substantially the depth of the bathtub, a curtain housed in said chamber, the said curtain comprising horizontal slidable section having their edges adapted to interlock when the sections are elevated, a head on the uppermost section adapted to normally cover the chamber, means for locking the head when the sections are housed in the chamber, spring means for partially elevating the sections when said locking means is released and means in the head for cooperating with supports to lock the curtain in its raised position.

5. A bathtub having a chamber substantially the depth of the bathtub and extending across the: front face of said bathtub, a curtain housed in said chamber, the said curtain formed of a plurality of interlocking sections, a head attached to the uppermost section and normally covering said chamber, means for locking the head of said chamber, means for locking the head when elevated to its uppermost position, tracks adjacent the; opposite edges of the curtain for properly guiding the sections of the curtain to their upper and lowermost positions.

6. A bathtub having a chamber extending across its front face and of substantially the same depth as the bathtub, a shower curtain normally nested in said chamber, means for partially raising the curtain so that the same can be elevated to its uppermost position, means for locking the curtain both in its uppermost and lowermost position and means for guiding the curtain while being raised and lowered.

'7. A bathtub having an open ended chamber extending across the front face thereof, a curtain normally housed in said chamber, the said ourtain consisting of a plurality of interlocking slidable sections, the sides of the curtain extending beyond the sides of the chamber, tracks adjacent the sides of the curtain, a. head connected to the uppermost of said sections provided with means to travel in said tracks and said means also adapted to lock said curtain in its raised and lowermost positions.

8. A bathtub having a chamber extendin across the face thereof, the depth of the chamber being substantially that of the bathtub, a curtain housed in said chamber and made up of a plurality of interlocking slidable sections, telescopic posts adjacent the opposite sides of the curtain and adapted to be raised and support the curtain when the curtain is in its raised position.

9. A bathtub having an auxiliary chamber extending across the front thereof, and the depth of the chamber being substantially the depth of the tub, telescopic posts housed in the opposite ends of the chamber, a curtain also housed in said chamber between said posts, said curtain consisting of a plurality of interlocking slidable relatively stiff sections, means for locking the curtain when in its lowered position, and means for locking said curtain in its elevated position to said telescopic posts when the latter are extended.

SIMON E. DALTON, JR. 

